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Frequently Asked Qestions

Skin Facts

  • On average, your epidermis (the outermost layer of skin) regenerates every 27 days (14 days for a 20 year old, 37 days for a 50 year old)
  • This process is most intensive at night, with cell regeneration taking place 8 times faster between the hours of 2 and 3 a.m., than during any other time of day
  • As the skin regenerates, it sloughs off dead cells amounting to approximately one gram per day. During the average lifetime, you will lose approximately 44 pounds of skin.
  • There are 3,900,000 cells per square inch of skin.
  • Your skin is a major sensory organ and contains 32 feet of nerves per square inch.
  • Your skin has over 8 feet of blood vessels per square inch.
  • Your epidermis accounts for only 10% of your skin mass.
  • Your skin continues to grow after your muscle, fat, and skeletal structures begin to deteriorate.
  • The skin responds to five basic sensations: pressure, touch, cold, heat, and pain.
  • Skin varies in thickness from a twelfth to a fifth of an inch.
  • Skin is the thinnest on the eyelids and thickest on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
  • Things that adversely affect your skin include: excess of heat and cold, pollutants (free-radical damage), UVA and UVB sun damage, and smoking and intrinsic aging.
  • Sun damage - average solar damage takes between 15 and 20 years to show the effects. Intense solar exposure can cause visible damage even earlier.
  • We receive more than 80% of damage from the sun be fore the age of 18.
  • Smoking - causes huge levels of free-radical damage. These free-radicals bind to our proteins and fats, causing tissue damage. Alcoholic Beverages - ingesting more than .08 ounces of alcohol (a 16-ounce beer) can be deleterious and negate efforts to treat or prevent wrinkles.
  • Your skin begins to age when a person reaches 25, when hormone levels begin to decrease. Moisture content goes down, cell division slows, skin renewal decelerates, and oil secretion declines. By the time we reach 60 years old, we are able to make only about one-half of the necessary functional proteins we made when we were 20.
  • In addition to anti-aging skincare regimes, good nutrition, water consumption, sunscreen, exercise, and adequate rest act to counteract skin damage.

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Microdermabrasion facts

What Is Microdermabrasion?
Microdermabrasion is a mini procedure that involves the skin being "sandblasted" by aluminum oxide crystals, baking soda, salt or corn cob granules to remove the stratum corneum (top) layer of the skin; dead skin cells. Microdermabrasion also promotes the production of new cells in the basal (deepest) layer of the dermis. This procedure may not give everyone the same results but if you have the money it is a nice treat and requires no down time. It can clean your pores incredibly and hinder any future breaks outs if used on a regular basis. Microdermabrasion also stimulates collagen net working to further even out skin texture and appearance.

Are You a Candidate For Microdermabrasion?
The best candidates for microdermabrasion are individuals with acne prone and blotchy skin, small scars, rhytides, keratoses, large pores, milia, or sebaceous hyperplasia. If you have sun damage or uneven texture and would like to improve the condition of your skin, you may be a good candidate for Microdermabrasion. Microdermabrasion is not recommended for those who have active keloids, undiagnosed lesions, recent herpes outbreaks, warts, active, weeping acne (stages 3 to 4), active rosacea, unstable diabetes or auto-immune system disorders.

Does Microdermabrasion Hurt?
Microdermabrasion does not hurt although it may sting a little around the eye area. The patient normally works up to a level as they go to increase the penetration to the skin. Your skin may feel a little hot and appear a little pink for the first day. You should be perfectly fine that night. Although really intense micro- dermabrasion treatments may leave you pink for several days. The technician can turn down the controls if the suction or level of the blast is too strong for you.

What to Expect During a Treatment?
Patients have attributed the sensation of a microdermabrasion treatment to a slight windburn. Although depending upon the level that you wish to reach the discomfort is usually quite minimal, if at all. The treatments typically last 20 to 30 minutes for the face, if your treatment includes the neck and upper chest area, it may last up to an hour. A normal course of microdermabrasion treatments varies between 4 to 8 at approximately 2 week intervals. It is recommended that you schedule an additional treatment every 1 to 3 months to maintain your skin in excellent condition. Most patients actually feel and see a difference just after one or two treatments but schedule additional treatments to increase this improvement.

What to Expect During a Treatment?
After The Treatment:
  • A rehydrating toner, moisturizer and sunscreen is applied to your skin prior to leaving the spa.
  • Some redness is expected after a treatment, however this is not likely to persist more than a few hours. The sensation of having a mild windburn or sunburn will also pass after a few hours. Applying a high quality moisturizer to re-hydrate the skin at this point will help.
  • Avoid direct sun exposure for 7 days after a treatment. We do stress the importance of using a high quality sun protectant product as well as minimizing sun exposure. Exposure to UV radiation is one of the key factors in speeding the skin aging process.
  • Avoid Alpha-Hydroxy Acid, products and skin exfoliation scrubs for 72 hours both before and after a treatment

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Permanent Hair removal – Ellipse IPL

What areas of the body can you treat?
All areas, men and women, except mucous membrane (eg. inside the nose) and within the boney orbit of the eye. From facial hair to chests, arms, underarms, bellies, bikini lines, legs - you grow it, we'll remove it!!

Is it safe?
Yes. You will be treated by one of our fully trained and experienced Beauty Therapists. Every new client fills in a comprehensive form enabling us to assess if there is any underlying reason why you should not be treated. For example, if you are very suntanned we may advise you to stay out the sun and return in a few weeks time. Your skin type is carefully assessed and a test patch performed on each area before it is treated for the first time. This enables us to ensure that your skin will not react negatively and also assists us in choosing the optimal fluence for your treatments - high enough to be effective and low enough not to cause any side effects. Some skin types might be too dark to avoid damage if treated but we avoid this problem by testing you first. Very importantly, rest assured that the type of light emitted is totally different to sun light and is not carcinogenic (Cancer causing). On the contrary, IPL is used to correct non-cancerous sun damage (see photorejuvenation below.)

Is it Painful?
There is always some sensation involved in permanent hair removal but IPL is the gentlest form of treatment available. The hair is shaved prior to treatment to prevent the skin being exposed to unnecessary heat. Cooling packs can be used during treatment and a soothing balm applied after. There may be a slight residual redness or tenderness but this will disappear quickly.

What are the side effects?
As mentioned, a slight redness may be apparent after treatment, but this usually fades within hours. If the skin is not protected from the sun, pigmentation or depigmentation marks can result. The good news is that, though it might take up to a few months, these will usually fade. Over treatment is rare but the pigments marks that result from this will also fade.

What is the difference between laser and IPL?
IPL works in the same ways as laser but it is an updated technology and emits a broader spectrum of light so is very effective at lower fluences (amount of heat). This makes it much more gentle on the skin than laser, reducing discomfort, redness and any possibility of over treating. IPL is also faster, so easier to fit into a busy schedule. Like laser, the skin should not be tanned before or during treatment as this could cause pigmentation marks.

Electrolysis is also permanent hair reduction. Why should I change?
Treatment with IPL is much faster. The electrolysis process treats each hair one at a time but with IPL the entire area covered by the beam of light is treated. There is no piercing of the skin with IPL and this eliminates chances of infection and scarring. And of course, no more ingrowns!

Waxing Treatments cost less than IPL treatments. Why should I change?
Reason no.1 is that your course of IPL treatments will result in long term hair reduction - no more regular depilation. IPL is also not painful like waxing, particularly in sensitive areas such as bikini lines, and skin reaction and rashes will be a thing of the past. Best of all, no infections and scarring from ingrown hairs!

Why do I need more than one treatment?
Hair has 3 growing stages, the Anagen or active growing phase, Catagen or resting phase and Telogen, the end phase before the old hair falls out and is replaced by the new one. It is in the Anagen phase that hair is most successfully treated because this is when it is attached to the bulb containing the growth cells, which we wish to destroy. All hairs treated will fall out within a week or two allowing those in the Catagen and Telogen stages to reach Anagen by the next treatment (3 to 6 weeks) and those follicles in the Anagen stage that were only damaged and not disabled, to be treated again. Repeated treatments ensure that all hair follicles have maximum exposure to the IPL at the right time.

How many treatments will I need?
That depends on your hair colour, skin type, the area to be treated and, most important, the effect you desire. Because the skin, like the hair, contains melanin, we take care not to cause it any damage. Generally, the paler the skin the higher the fluence that can be used so the fewer treatments you will need. Conversely, darker skins will need to be treated on a lower fluence so might require a few extra treatments. An average figure for permanent removal of hair, from the legs for example, would be 4 to 6 treatments. We do not tie you to a specific number of treatments; rather you decide when you have achieved the desired effect.

Once my course of treatments is over, will the hair ever come back?
The hair follicles that have been permanently disabled will not grow again. There will be some dormant hair follicles in the skin at time of treatment and these may grow at a later stage. Some clients return for a maintenance treatment after 6 months to 2 years whilst others do not require this. It depends on the individual hair growth and the effect you are happy with.

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IPL Photo Rejuvenation:

Photo rejuvenation is performed by gently delivering light energy to specific areas through a special hand-piece. These specific areas then absorb this light energy and the production of collagen is stimulated. Collagen helps soften the appearance of aging skin. As the collagen forms, the fine lines and wrinkles in the targeted areas are decreased. Photo rejuvenation can even reduce the redness associated with rosacea (a chronic form of acne). The procedures take only 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the amount of areas that need to be treated. So an individual can take their lunch break, have their treatment done, and come back looking younger and healthier. As with hair removal, the IPL targets the pigment in the brown or red area being treated. Pigmented lesions will darken initially and may form a crust but will fade within 10 to 14 days. Red areas and broken capillaries may blanch immediately or otherwise darken to a purple hue that also fades within 10 to 14 days.

Who is an ideal candidate for Photo Rejuvenation?
Generally ideal candidates for Photo Rejuvenation are people that have:
  • Red-flushed faces
  • Sun-damaged skin
  • Hyperpigmentation on body and face
  • Enlarged pores
  • Realistic goals and expectations for the procedure
  • A desire to improve the appearance of their skin
This is only some of the criteria the surgeon would use to determine if you are an ideal candidate for photo rejuvenation. If you want to know if you are an ideal candidate, ask for a consultation with your physician.

Are there any risks or complications involved?
There are no known possible risks involved with photo rejuvenation and the procedure has proven to be safe. Unlike facial plastic surgery, there is no actual pain experienced during the procedure. Most patients have compared the procedure to feel like a rubber band snapping on the skin. The only marks shown from the procedure will be some redness or bruising, which will eventually fade away.

Recovery:
There is practically no post-operative discomfort, with the exception of some redness or bruising. A flushed appearance may also be present. These symptoms will soon fade away and what’s left is a younger looking skin. The therapist may provide some instructions for you to follow after each treatment; these instructions may include avoiding certain skin cleansers or using sunscreen. In order to achieve the best results, follow the therapist’s instructions.

Will I have to repeat this procedure?
During the first treatment, there is a significant change in the skin’s appearance. However, these improvements will steadily increase with each visit. To achieve optimal results, a series of three to five treatments may be needed. This all depends on how many treatments are needed and the severity of the area. On the plus side, these treatments only take about a half an hour out of your day. So multiple procedures will not take up too much of your time.

What results will I expect after undergoing Photo Rejuvenation?
Once the final results of the treatments are revealed the individual should notice one or more of the following:
  • Skin will have more tone
  • Skin will have a smoother look and feel
  • Sunspots will fade
  • Pore sizes will shrink
  • Fine lines and wrinkles decrease in size
  • Skin’s appearance will look younger and healthier
Photo Facial™ is a 2-6 treatment program that dramatically eliminates signs of sun damage, aging, and Rosacea, on the face and neck. We also see great results on the arms, hands and chest.

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AHA – Glycolic acid key points

  • Of the various acids that make up the AHA group, glycolic acid has been shown to be one of the most effective in topical resurfacing.
  • Glycolic acid has the smallest molecular structure and, thus, penetrates deepest into the skin.
  • Glycolic acid acts upon the lipids, breaking them down and causing the sloughing off of the outer layer of dead cells.
  • The use of glycolic acid products reduces the stratum corneum, preparing the surface to allow better penetration of therapeutic agents, such as vitamins.
  • # AHAs accelerate cell division, thus increasing the production of collagen.
  • Glycolic acid acts as a vaso-dialator which causes the capillaries to open, providing the skin with additional oxygen, nourishment, and waste removal.
  • When using glycolic acid, the cumulative effect will provide the greatest benefit.
  • The combination of home care products with a high-percentage professional facial treatment usually achieves visible results in a short time.
  • The glycolic acid concentration, the pH and the frequency of application are directly proportionate to the results (and the speed of the results).
  • AHAs are known skin irritants. At a given pH, increasing the concentration increases irritation. At a given concentration, reducing the pH increases the irritation.
  • Glycolic acid is the most suitable of the AHAs for cosmetic purposes.
  • Glycolic acid is also considered an antioxidant.

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Why are we using Bulgarian Rose Otto for our signature treatments?

Pure rose oil is made in several countries. Bulgarian steam distilled pure rose oil is number one in the world for several reasons. For over 300 years the Bulgarians have been refining rose oil production. Their climate is such that the rose petals do not over produce wax for protection from the rays of the sun. In other climates, harsh or too little sun, will produce inferior rose petals that contain either too much or too little wax. Other environmental factors, such as soil and water delivery, botany skills combined with time honoured cultivation techniques, ensure prime rose petals for production. One other factor ensuring top quality Bulgarian Rose Oil is the implementation of government standards to ensure the rose oil composition is always within certain quality control parameters.

For centuries the rose has been associated with feminine beauty and hence skin care. Bulgarian pure rose oil is a top note essential oil. Its frequency is extremely high and rapid. Rose oil has the highest frequency (320 Hertz) of all the essential oils on the planet. This in itself is an important factor. It means that the fragrant molecules of the rose oil, on inhalation or application, are able to quickly penetrate and travel the infinitesimal pathways of the body, rapidly energising every cell, bringing balance, harmony and beauty to the body.

Rose Oil Frequency
Frequency is defined as a measurable rate of electrical energy flow that is constant between any two points. Everything has an electrical frequency, and essential oils contain frequencies that are several times greater than the frequencies of herbs and foods.

Rose Oil frequency is extremely high and rapid. Rose oil has the highest frequency (320 Hertz) of all the essential oils on the planet. This in itself is an important factor. It means that the fragrant molecules of the rose oil, on inhalation or application, are able to quickly penetrate and travel the infinitesimal pathways of the body, rapidly energising every cell, bringing balance, harmony and beauty to the body.

Rose essential oil has a long history in folk remedies, especially in the area of skin care. It is suitable for all skin types, but it is especially valuable for dry, sensitive or aging skins. It has a tonic and astringent effect on the capillaries just below the skin surface, which makes it useful in diminishing the redness caused by enlarged capillaries. It is important to ensure that the product you use contains the genuine rose essential oil. Many manufacturers label their products containing rose essence but it could be synthetic. Synthetic rose ingredients have no therapeutic value at all! Remember, with authentic rose otto, a little goes a long way.

A few drops of our high quality Rose Oil (Rose Otto) will:

  • Enliven: romance, auras, chakras, love, libido, sensuality, happiness.
  • Enhance: inner vision, angelic connection, clairvoyance, relationships, meditation, devotion.
  • Assist with: skin care, easing grief, encouraging contentment, dissipating guilt, liver detoxing, opening the heart, balancing the female reproduction system, healing.
  • Ease: menstrual tension, frigidity, hangovers, depression, symptoms of menopause.
  • Bring: harmony, comfort, calmness, purity, patience, luck and joy

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Still have a question?
Please contact us.

276-280 Kensington High
Str. London, W8 6ND
Tel: 0207 7511 611
Fax: 0207 7511 615

reception@adaminaspa.com
www.adaminaspa.com